Norway firefighters work at the scene of a fire about 9 a.m. Friday at 32 Alpine St. Flames were coming out of downstairs windows of an apartment when firefighters arrived. Authorities said no injuries were reported. A.M. Sheehan/Advertiser Democrat
NORWAY — A fire Friday morning gutted a first-floor apartment on Alpine Street, leaving a family of five homeless.
The mother and a young child were alone at home at 32 Alpine St., Apartment 27, waiting for the bus when she heard the smoke detector going off in the bedroom. When the mother went to investigate, she discovered that a bed was on fire, said Norway Fire Chief David Knox.
She immediately grabbed her child, exited the apartment and called for help.
The call came in at 8:56 a.m. It took firefighters approximately 15 to 20 minutes to get the blaze under control, Knox said. There were no reports of injuries.
Living in the apartment were two adults, three children, a dog and a cat. The other two children had already left for school.
The apartment complex at 32 Alpine St. has nearly a dozen four-unit buildings. The two apartments on the left side were empty and being renovated. One person lived on the second floor above the fire.
While her apartment was not damaged, Knox said he advised the tenant in that upstairs unit not to return for 48 hours to allow smoke and any lingering fumes to clear the building.
The fire was mostly contained to the bedroom of the first-floor apartment, but the unit sustained extensive smoke and water damage. Knox said the apartment was gutted with little being salvageable.
Firefighters from Paris, West Paris, Oxford and Waterford assisted the Norway Fire Department.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, Knox said.
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